


It's the Sun in Your Eyes

by AngelWithAStory



Series: Albatross [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, One Shot Collection, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 14:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8164831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: Cassandra remembered the months following the Dragon's descent.Some parts were more enjoyable that others.





	

**Author's Note:**

> so I never planned on a sequel but that's the story of my life so :/
> 
> I wanted to get this out before last week's episode, but I didn't finish it in time so I modified it just a little towards the end because I didn't want to rewatch the ep to get all the details. 
> 
> also, I can't actually watch the ep until after school tomorrow and _I want to know if my precious Percy is safe_ ;________;

“Absolutely _not_.”

“You can hardly stop me.”

“I am your brother and legal guardian-”

“Well observed, Percival.”

Vox Machina watched as the argument ensued for probably the millionth time since their return from Westruun.

They watched as Cassie slowly grew more and more agitated while her brother tried his damnedest to keep her in Whitestone.

“Cassandra! Don’t walk away from me while I’m talking to you!”

“Too late, I’m going for a walk.”

Vax stepped to the side as Cassie stalked past. She was in her armour with her sword at her side, but the look on her face was someone close to frustrated tears. The group all seemed to look at each other and come to an unspoken agreement.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Keyleth said, following where Cassie left.

“Cassandra, that’s not a good idea!” Percival tried to go after her as well, but Vax caught his arm and held him in place.

“Give her a moment.” Vax said quietly. Percival sighed but didn’t resist. He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed the skin under his glasses.

“Honestly, does she not see why I’m so worried?” Percival said, turning to Vax. He looked tired. Like the weight of the end of the world was resting on him, and also like he hadn’t slept properly in a little while. “You all run off to go save the world and I have no way of knowing what is going on. You fought a dragon! If she had died, I wouldn’t have known until it was too late.”

“We wouldn’t have let that happen, Percival.” Vex said gently, resting her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

“I lost her once, and I refuse to let that happen again.” Percival said, mostly to himself. He only glanced at Vex  but mostly he watched the distant forms of Keyleth and Cassie as they talked.

Cassie’s figure was pacing, trying to vent her frustration, while Keyleth’s was calmer. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but Vax imagined there were a lot of swear words being used.

“Percival, I know that to you, she’s still the small girl that she was from before the Briarwood’s,” Scanlan said, speaking up, “but to _us_ , she’s one of the best fighters we’ve ever known. She’s brave, and she’s scrappy, and probably the smartest out of all of us.”

“Speak for yourself.” Grog huffed.

“Percival,” Vax said, drawing the focus of attention, “from one brother to another, I know exactly what you’re feeling. But you have to understand, that trying to keep her here will only push her away. We know Cassie. She needs someone supportive, not someone overprotective.”

Percival looked at the floor, slowly nodding as he took in all that was said. Vex took her hand off him and Vax noticed how Percival’s shoulder twitched. She walked out to where the other women were, and Vax watched as her form receded.

“I think if you give her some time to just calm down, then you can talk to her after dinner.” Pike said, in her usual gentle tone. Percival nodded and raised his head once again.

“You’d best get ready for dinner then, I have a few matters I must attend to.” Percival said, adjusting his jacket and walking further into the castle.

There was quiet as the remaining waited for them to return.

“She gets it from you.” Pike said quietly, looking at Vax with a knowing look in her eye.

“Gets what from me?” Vax asked. He didn’t like the smile on her face - he’d seen it too many times on Grog’s face before some kind of bodily injury.

“Walking off in the middle of arguments.” Scanlan said, his arms folded across his chest casually. He looked smug. (Fucker.)

“She looks up to you, Vax.” Pike said. She wasn’t looking at him anymore, she was looking at where Vex was hugging Cassie in the distance. “Don’t waste that, okay?”

Vax was taken aback, honestly. First, the idea that he was _anyone’s_ idol was laughable at best. Secondly, there were better people than Vox Machina to idolise. And out of all them, Vax was probably the _last_ person on the list of appropriate role models.

A part of him wanted to sit Cassie down and explain why he was _not_ someone to look up to, but another part of him was flattered.

The biggest part of him won out.

And he walked away.

 

Cassie looked up as she heard the door open. The thrum of adrenaline was still in her blood, but she could feel it slowly start to ebb away. She was thankful for the thick cloak that had been dumped around her shoulders to stave off the early morning cold. Her slip that she slept in had turned out to be abysmal armour.

Images of the assassin standing above her, the knife aimed at her chest, still haunted her and she had to force herself to stop thinking about it. Sounds of guards in the hallways and in the distant courtyard were barely reassuring.  

Her friends stood in the castle’s sitting room in varying states of panic and anger. Pike still wore the over-sized robes that was almost comical to look at. Vax had finally been persuaded to wear clothes again, but he didn’t seem all to happy about it (though that could easily have been because of nearly being killed by someone disguised as a close friend and ally). He seemed to refuse to look over at Cassie - and Cassie had a vague feeling that it wasn’t about his exhibitionist moment in the tunnels beneath the castle.

Percival stood in the doorway, looking both groggy and bedraggled but alert and terrified. His eyes landed on Cassie and he surged forwards without another thought.

Cassie stood up just in time to meet Percival’s embrace.

His hands gripped her tighter than he ever had and Cassie pretended she didn’t feel the burning in her eyes.

“Are you hurt?” Percival asked, pressing her head into his shoulder as he just held onto her.

“I’ll survive.” Cassie said, her voice muffled in his disheveled (and probably hastily applied) clothes. “Where have you been?”

“Organising the guards.” Percival said. “No one really seemed to know how to proceed with an attack on the castle.”

Percival pulled backwards and held Cassie’s head in his hands. He looked at her, but he frowned suddenly.

“Have you been drinking?” Percival asked.

“Can you blame me? We just got attacked by assassins and a demon tiger, brother.” Cassie said. She could see the expression on her brother’s face shift and just sighed. “Percy, _please_ don’t make this a thing. It’s a fucked up situation and I just wanted a drink to calm my nerves.”

“I wasn’t going to say that at all.” Percival said.

“Yes you were.”

“I really wasn’t. I was going to say that for once, I feel the same way.” Percival said. “This is a fucked up situation.”

Cassie laughed and leaned forwards again, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

“How uncouth of you to swear, Percy.” She teased.

The door opened again and Cassie looked up as Allura and Kima walked in.

They all sat on any surface they could as they learned more about the Rakshasa and Cassie felt a heavy horror settle in her chest when it hit her that Pike was going to be that monster’s next target.

Percival didn’t let go of her hand the entire time.

 

Cassie remembered her brother wittering on for hours about the Feywild. At the time, she enjoyed him describing all the creatures there and the environment, but in their years of separation Cassie had let those memories slip away from her.

Nothing in their family’s library could have prepared her for what she experienced when they got there.

And honestly, aside from getting blinded for accidentally spooking a nymph, and meeting a satyr that seemed _fascinated_ by their group (and with an annoying affinity for charms, the fucker), the most terrifying thing that had happened to them was entering Syngorn.

Syldor was just as imposing as he had been all those years ago, but he looked at the group with less of a hateful edge. Something in him had softened over the last year, and Cassie wondered what it was that caused that.

She remembered comforting the crying Vex’ahlia and the angry Vax’ildan only the night before and Cassie let her heart harden against the man once more.

No good deed he did for them would buy their forgiveness.

The plan in her mind had began forming as soon as Cassie confined herself to her room after talking to both the twins. It _could_ work out in their favour, or it could be a risk. But wasn’t that what Vox Machina did best: take risks and hope they pay off?

(Her brother would be annoyed with her when they returned.)

Syldor handed her the small scroll and Cassie quietly read over it.

It was time.

Cassie rolled the scroll up neatly and looked up at Syldor. Her smile was kind, but a flash of uncertainty appeared in Syldor’s eyes.

“I’m afraid that you’re going to need to make an amendment.” Cassie said, folding her hands in her lap and giving Syldor her most noble smile. “It’s Lord Vax’ildan and Lady Vex’ahlia.”

“Is that so?” Syldor asked, his eyes glancing ever so slightly at his children.

“Yes. Lord Vax’ildan and Lady Vex’ahlia. Baron and Baroness of the Third House of Whitesone and Grand Masters of the Grey Hunt.” Cassie spoke calmly, like her mother had always taught her. “You are in the presence of nobility, sir. Despite any previous grievances, do watch your manners.”

Syldor looked at her like she was something to evaluate. She could _feel_ him trying to figure her out. Try to piece together the formal tongue and clean, spotless clothes fit to battle in.

But Cassie had been trained by the best.

“My apologies. I’ll see to it immediately.”

“Thank you, sir.” Cassie smiled at him, but she hoped that he could see the smugness in her eyes.  

Cassie kept her composure as she watched Syldor leave. She kept her composure as she felt eye fall on her and when she heard the unmistakable sound of people trying not to laugh.

She daintily sipped the tea that was slowly going cold, feeling a small thrill in her chest at the reaction she’s just received.

Syldor returned and handed the scroll to Cassie, standing up and folding his hands behind his back. He looked either side of her to his children.

“Good luck.” He said, showing more affection in that one sentence than he probably had shown them in their entire lives.

The rest of the conversation didn’t concern her, so Cassie sat back and finished her tea. It was pretty sweet, and Cassie remembered the bedtime stories of people being trapped in strange lands after eating or drinking the native food. A childish part of her was suddenly worried.

Velora was adorable, and it was always so nice to see Vex and Vax happy. Cassie laughed behind her gloved hand as Vax and Grog started swearing in front of Velora, trying to stoke her rebellious streak already.

Cassie walked out of the house with her head held high. The door shut behind them with a strange sense of finality and she drew in a breath to calm herself.

“Sorry if that took you by surprise-” Cassie began, but she was interrupted by Vax suddenly lifting her into the air and twirling her around.

“Oh you brilliant little bastard!” He put her down and held her face a little roughly. He was grinning like a maniac and it was infectious. “Did you see the look on his face? That was priceless.”

Vex suddenly threw her arms around Cassie’s shoulders from behind and held her to her chest tightly. Cassie laughed as Vex squeezed her as Vax still just grabbed her arms

“Was it real? Was all that real?” Vex asked, sounding slightly hesitant.

“Of course it was.” Cassie promised, reaching up to hold both of their arms.

“Cassie, you didn't have to do that for us,” Vax said, still grinning with barely contained glee. She could feel the slightest shake in his skin and she wondered just _how long_ Vax had been waiting for a moment to show up his father.

“I think you'll find, I did.” Cassie straightened her clothes and took both the twins’ hand. “I saw how much that man had hurt you - _both_ of you - and I wanted him to know that you are worth so much more than he could ever expect. And besides, Whitestone seems to be lacking a certain number of nobility after it was liberated, and I feel bad that we were the cause of it.”

There was a beat of silence as they all took in the statement.

“I must admit, the title doesn’t come with much. There’s no money, and the house that went with it is currently in ashes-”

“It’s the one Scanlan burned.” Keyleth chipped in.

“Yes, that’s true.” Cassie said. She felt Vex’s arms loosen slightly from around her shoulders, but she wasn’t withdrawing. “But it can be rebuilt! Maybe better. And you have a title! Sorry you have to share it, but I feel like Percy might take some convincing for this one and I didn’t want to push my luck.”

“Cassie-” Vax said.

“Oh, and once a year you have to do something very ridiculous, but we’ll get to that when the times comes.” Cassie added, gently disengaging herself from the half-Elves. She very gently took both their hands in hers and looked up at them, suddenly realising the difference between them wasn’t so great anymore.

“Even so,” Vex said, squeezing Cassie’s hand back.

“This- this is _far_ more than we can ever repay you for, Cassandra.” Vax said, looking at her intently.

“You two have kept me alive, clothed and dry ever since we met.” Cassie said, solemnly. “You have kept me safe, and you have been my family when I thought that I was alone in this world. Trust me, this is only the beginning of my gratitude.”

Cassie felt herself being pulled into a hug and felt the twin’s arms wrap around her.

“Thank you,” Vax whispered.

“Thank you so much.” Vex added.

“No thanks needed.” Cassie promised. “Use it in good health.”

They held each other for a single moment longer before drifting apart. Cassie cleared her throat and adjusted her jacket. Her hands rested in front of her, still keeping up her noble image.

As they walked, Cassie made sure to take Vex’s arm for a moment.

“ _At least now, Percival won’t feel guilty for trying to court you._ ” Cassie whispered in Vex’s ear, before swiftly taking her arm back and going to walk beside Keyleth.

 

They had only been gone for four days.

Four days, and it felt like the world had ended.

Cassie thought that as Percival held her tightly and she stemmed her tears. As she held onto Keyleth’s hand and prayed that the barrier would hold. As she saw the frightened faces of the townspeople holding their loved ones close just like her.

She thought they were all going to die.

But when the dragons passed, Cassie was still shaken.

Her brother wanted her to stay home. To take a few days after returning to just _rest_ , but Cassie couldn’t stay there.

She felt the urge to run. Run far away. Stronger than it was when the Briarwoods attacked. She needed to get away from the danger - even if it meant running away from the safe place.

Draconia was a mistake. Cassie knew that as soon as she crashed into the snowbank, Grog’s body shielding her from the fall.

As soon as she saw the other Dragonborn, she knew it was a mistake.

When Cassie saw Tiberius again, she wanted to break.

Just curl up in the snow and lie there until the world was fixed. Pretend the world wasn’t _fucked_ and run away.

But she kept her eyes forwards and followed her friends. They hadn’t noticed yet. They had something to deal with.

Not for the first time, Cassie took a breath and looked forwards. She buried the ache in her chest. Set her mind on the task at hand. Ignored the pain and the burning in her eyes.

Cassie only let herself feel it when the others stood beside her, burying their friend in books.

It was a poor excuse for a funeral, but it was all they could do right then.

Grog poured out a goblet of water for him, and Keyleth wept enough for all of them. Cassie sat down on the frigid ground beside Keyleth and just rested her head against her arm.

She still hadn’t cried.

Cassie wanted to.

She wanted to cry, and mourn properly, and grieve for their fallen friend.

But she couldn’t.

She felt too numb to do anything. So she looked up.

The sky above them stretched out like a blanket and Cassie told herself that at least Tiberius had seen the sky before he died.

It was a pretty pathetic comfort, but it was all Cassie had.

That night, Cassie didn’t sleep in her room.

She walked down the walls of her childhood, running a hand along the cold stone. Somewhere behind one of the doors, she knew her friends were sleeping, or mourning in their own way. But Cassie couldn’t.

She walked to the library and looked in on instinct.

A hundred memories of seeing Percival asleep in a chair beside the fire, a book fallen on the ground by his feet, sprung to mind. Cassie gently closed the door.

The guards gave her a funny look as she walked past them confidently, dressed in nothing but her nightclothes, adventuring boots and a long coat. They didn’t try to stop her, but she could hear a few of them follow her. Not that she minded - at least Percival had trained the guards well.

They followed her as she walked through the streets of the town, passing partially-constructed buildings and the still lingering remnants of the revolution. She heard them pause as Cassie walked into a building.

A Church.

The Church where she had learned that her brother was still alive.

Cassie sat down on the last pew and bowed her head, clasping her hands together tightly in her lap. She heard the guards stop in the doorway. They didn’t enter but they didn’t leave. They let her pray in peace.

The prayer wasn’t asking for a miracle, or even a sign of better hope. Cassie prayed for her family. She asked for their protection for just a few more months. Until they had all the vestiges. Until the dragons were dead. Until the world was safe again.

A warm breeze washed over her from somewhere and Cassie smiled to herself.

She stood and let the guards escort her back to the castle, not exchanging a single word between them.

 

Blood smelled disgusting.

That was something Cassie had learned at an early age and was only reinforced as she aged.

She point-blank refused to do anything other than toss Grog a healing potion after a battle due to the _stink_ of blood and viscera that would linger on his skin. Cassie _abhorred_ how her armour smelled in the Underdark and the air of gore after a well-executed kill.

It wasn’t simple weakness at the sight of blood. (Cassie would never have survived early puberty if that had been the case.)

It was only ever the _smell_.

Cassie had to pull up the neckline of her shirt and cover her mouth when she saw the hidden room. The bed in disarray. The furniture broken and upturned. The dead body of the woman they were hoping to meet.

It made her feel sick to her stomach.

Blood covered almost every surface. Blood stained the sheets. Blood pooled on the floor under the bed.

Old blood.

Cassie turned away.

They’d lost the cloak.

And if those marks in the wall meant anything, they had more than a deal with the Dragonborn to worry about.

It was almost too much for Cassie.

There was only so much calamity one person could go through before they broke.

 

She was there.

Right there.

The cloak billowed out behind her and settled against her shoulders, crackling with some arcane energy that didn’t belong to her. A strange weapon was clutched in her hand and hung by her leg.

_(“CASSIE WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!”)_

“I wondered how long it would take you to catch on.”

Cassie felt something tear into her leg. The weapon was poised at her knee as the flesh was ripped away from it.

Cassie fell to her knees.

Blood soaked her clothes and the sharp ground underneath her wasn’t helping.

“You killed her. Mistress Asharu. You murdered her for the cloak.” Cassie felt her breath come in sharp bursts as her hands clutched her knee, but she tried to keep her voice steady. “You deserve everything that we’re going to do to you.”

“‘ _We_ ’? Your friends are too busy fighting my guards. And you’re going to die here.”

Cassie felt another impact hit her shoulder and almost knock her backwards onto her back. That arm felt numb as stabs of pain shot through her every time she tried to move it. She clutched her shoulder, feeling the edge of the impact wound and feeling a little bit sick. The skin around it felt hot and burned slightly.

The end of the strange weapon pressed against Cassie’s forehead.

“You’re not going to get it.” Cassie said, forcing herself to take deep breaths and _calm down_. “The dagger. Or any more of the Vestiges. Because you’re going to die on this forsaken island. The world won’t have to be subjected to your existence anymore, Anna Ripley.”

Ripley laughed: a low chuckle that had haunted Cassie for _months_.

Years.

For as long as she could remember.

“I didn’t want to kill you, Cassandra.” Ripley said, not moving her aim. “But when an opportunity arises.”

Something began to congeal around her shoulders and Ripley’s shadow began to grow.

“If you’re going to kill me, don’t be a coward about it.” Cassie challenged. She prayed that those footsteps she could hear were from her friend.

“You know, Cassandra, I should go back to Whitestone after I kill you. Say thank you to your brother. After all, he was the one who helped me make this weapon.”

Cassie didn’t react.

“You’re lying.” She spat.

“Am I? Your brother always did have a way with engineering.”

“ _TOMATO PASTE!_ ”

Cassie threw herself to the ground before the voice had even finished echoing. Another bolt from Ripley’s weapon hit her as she did so, tearing away a small part of her arm. Her head felt light and her ears were ringing and her eyes couldn’t quite stay open, but Cassie watched as a familiar greataxe sliced into Ripley’s shoulder.

The barrel of the weapon aimed at Cassie’s head again as she lay bleeding on the sharp ground.

“Any closer and she dies.”

There wasn’t enough strength in her bleeding body for Cassie to roll over and look at her friends. The wounds ached to her core and the smell of something acrid burned her lungs.

“Alright! We’re staying back here!”

Vex.

That was Vex’s voice.

Cassie adjusted her grip on her shoulder and felt something brush against her wrist. Something soft.

( _Was that fur?_ )

“Where are the rest of you?” Ripley demanded. The weapon in her hand clicked and Cassie’s heart rate spiked.

“Back on the airship.” Vex said.

“Good. Now put your weapons on the ground.” Ripley demanded, her aim not straying at all from Cassie’s head.

The soft thing started to push against Cassie’s arm and she tried to look down at it.

( _Was that a mouse? In a place like this?_ )

Her head felt fuzzier and fuzzier as more of her blood spilled onto the ground beneath her. Somewhere, distantly in her head, Cassie felt bad about getting blood everywhere.

“Okay. We’re doing it. We’re putting our weapons down.” Vex said. Something in her voice caught Cassie’s limited attention.

Some underlying tone that... wasn’t _Vex_. It was familiar, though.

Something not quite sincere, but not quite devious.

_Scanlan!_

BANG!

 

Red.

Blood.

 _Everywhere_.

Like the pool.

The pool in Vasselheim.

The pool Vax went in.

The pool _she_ went in.

But there was no mask.

There was no _Her_.

Cassie’s head turned.

Her vision was filled with porcelain.

Cassie was frozen.

Cassie was scared.

She opened her mouth but she made no sound.

The porcelain shattered.

 

“ _What’s wrong?_ ”

Scanlan’s voice was watery. No substance. No joy. Maybe it wasn’t him.

“ _I don’t know!_ ”

Keyleth sounded strained. Scared. Unsure. Terrified.

“ _I’m doing my best!_ ”

Vax. Was he the one holding her hand? Or was he the one holding her head?

Cassie felt her chest deflate and she heard a faint noise somewhere.

“ _We need to go. We’ve got the cloak and the dagger, we need to get back home._ ”

Scanlan sounded less scared. Determined. Urgent.

Large, meaty hands lifted Cassie and she felt so small, suddenly.

Something cold touched her arm and Cassie couldn’t feel the world anymore.

 

When she woke up, Cassie didn’t feel any pain.

The sunlight streamed through the curtains on to her face and Cassie groaned as she began to stir. She felt an aching in her bones that hadn’t been there before, and a tightness in her skin that was uncomfortable, to say the least.

“She’s awake.”

That voice was soft, but grand, and Cassie smile in the haze.

“ _Hi Gilmore._ ” She said, as best she could. Her eyes tried to open but the world was blurry. Someone clasped her hand tightly and Cassie’s head turned to try and look at them.

“Percy, I-” Cassie began, recognising her brother’s silhouette.

“Cassie, I don’t care. I’m just glad that you’re awake.” Percival said, sounding close to tears as he gripped her hand so tight it felt like he was going to break it. She felt the tight binding of bandages around her shoulder, her arm and her knee.

“What do you mean? What happened?” Cassie asked, her head starting to clear. The lines of the world became sharper as it all focused. 

“You arrived back in Whitestone about two days ago,” Gilmore said, sat in a chair at the end of her bed. He looked slightly less stressed than when they left. A bit more put together, and bit more well-rested. “And according to the rest of Vox Machina, it had already been about a day since Glintshore.”

Cassie felt a spike of panic as she realised there were only three people in the room.

“Where’d they- _AGH_!” Cassie sat bolt upright and felt everything inside her protest at the movement. She clutched her shoulder as she curled forwards in pain. Percival’s arms held her in place as she rode out the waves of discomfort and caught her breath.

“Be careful, Cassie.” Percival said softly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her close. He tucked more pillows behind her back to keep her propped up.

“Take it easy, okay,” Gilmore said, sitting forwards in his chair, “you took quite a beating and you’re still recovering.”

“Where- Where are they?” Cassie managed to say, slowly. She looked Gilmore in the eye and saw all his compassion.

“They’re eating breakfast. I told them I’d go fetch them if you woke up.” Gilmore promised. He stood up from the chair and walked up to her, extending a hand towards her. When her arm could only twitch towards his and Gilmore smiled sadly, grabbing her hand in his and lifting it gently.

Cassie’s hand hung limply in his, but Gilmore just bowed and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her scarred hand.

“We thought we’d lost you forever for a moment there.” Gilmore whispered against her skin. He straightened up and let Cassie’s hand fall to the bedsheets, smiling at them brightly. “I’ll go fetch them.”

Cassie watched Gilmore leave, an odd feeling in her chest. She didn’t know if she wanted to cry or laugh at the fact that she _died_ and her friends genuinely thought she was going to stay dead.

“Percy, what was wrong with me? What did he mean by ‘ _forever_ ’?” Cassie asked, looking down at her legs under the bedsheets.

“ _You died._ ” Percy said.

Cassie couldn’t breathe. Percival held her hand tighter.

“According to your friends, Ripley shot you at point blank. The bullet missed the important part of your brain but-”

“You called them bullets.”

“Pardon?”

Cassie’s hand slowly retracted from her brother’s. She held them in her lap, idly playing with the bedsheets.

“The things she shot me with. They’re called bullets?” Cassie blinked rapidly, staring down at the small cuts and scars on her skin. Her hair felt heavy on her back.

“Cassandra, is something wrong?” Percival’s hand rested on her shoulder. She didn’t move.

“Before she- Before she shot me, she held whatever that weapon was to my head and- she told me that- you had a hand in designing that weapon.” Cassie blinked in surprise at the droplets that had fallen onto her bedsheet.

Percival’s hand slowly retracted from her shoulder and settled on his knee.

“Was she lying?”

Percival didn’t move. Neither did Cassie.

“Whatever happened in the five years I was gone, whatever she made you do, I don’t blame you for it.” Cassie said softly. A knot tied her lungs together and she felt a pressure suddenly lift from her chest. Forgiveness.

“I designed it.” Percival said quietly. He hung his head. Ashamed.

“But you didn’t wield it.” Cassie looked up at him, and gently reached out. Her body still ached, but her good arm managed to reach him. “Ripley did this to me.”

Percival looked up and Cassie saw the tears on his face. He reached out for her hand and she held onto him tightly.

“I will never blame you, Percy.” Cassie said, her voice barely more than a whisper now.

“She took advantage of the Briarwood’s hold over me.” Percival said plainly. He was speaking from the depths of his nightmares and Cassie gripped his hand tighter. “Her research was dangerous and she lost her hand to it. After that, she pleaded with the Briarwoods for an assistant. She told them of my workshop and my experiments. So the Briarwoods made me help her as she designed the weapon. Every time I refused she- she- Ripley was never a kind soul, and she demonstrated that more than once.”

“Percy.” Cassie was crying harder now. The lack of emotion in her brother’s voice hurt more than anything he could tell her about how he was treated.

She saw the scars on her brother’s skin when he forgot to put his jacket on. She saw the way his eyes glazed over sometimes. She remembered when she found him in the dungeon cell as a child.

Cassie didn’t care to know the details of what her brother went through: she was afraid that she would want to resurrect all that had hurt him just so she could kill them all over again.

“Percy, I promise you. I will _never_ let anything happen to you again.” Cassie’s knuckles were white as she held onto Percival’s hand. Her throat hurt when she spoke and her _everything_ still hurt more than she have ever remembered, but the promise was solid.

Percival’s hand held on tighter.

“ _Cassie,_ ”

There was a timid knock at the door and Percival slowly took his hand back.

“Come in!” Percival called out, sitting back in his chair.

The door opened and Pike’s head appeared around the edge of the door.

“Want some visitors?” Pike asked, her hair uncharacteristically falling down around her face.

“Only my favourite visitors.” Cassie said, settling back on the pillows.

Pike smiled and looked over her shoulder. The door crashed open and Cassie barely blinked before Grog was standing beside her bed with a wilting bouquet of flowers that had most likely been picked from the castle gardens. (Badly, at that.)

He held them out to her, Scanlan on his shoulder and smiling down at her with a cocky grin.

“For the lady.” Scanlan said, gesturing to the flowers.

Cassie laughed, but quickly stopped when the pain in her shoulder flared up. Her hissed as her hand gripped the bandages, breathing slightly heavily. A thin sheen of sweat coated her entirety and Cassie couldn’t wait to take a long soak in a hot bath.

Small hands touched her good arm and Cassie felt warmth flow through her. It took away the vast majority of the pain, but the last few kernels still hung around.

“Take it easy, Cassandra.” Vax said, sitting in Gilmore’s abandoned chair and watching her. “Doctor’s orders.”

“Fuck doctor orders, we need to get back out there.” Cassie said, slouching against the headboard and gratefully taking the glass of water Keyleth held out to her. “Ripley’s still out there.”

“No she isn’t.” Keyleth said, sitting on the bed next to Cassie’s injured knee.

“What do you mean?” Cassie asked, sipping the water slowly.

“We killed her. After she killed her.” Scanlan said slowly. There was a beat of quiet before Cassie just let out a weak laugh.

“Very poetic, Scanlan.” Cassie said. “So what now? Draconia again?”

“I think we’re staying put for a few days, at least.” Vex said. She stood beside Percy and Cassie though she was imagining how Percy leaned towards her slightly. “We can’t really do anything with our best fighter out of action.”

Cassie immediately looked over at Grog to watch his reaction, but she was surprised to see that he wasn’t immediately protesting to that claim. She frowned.

“Grog? Are you okay?” Cassie asked.

Grog held out the flowers to her again and Cassie slowly reached out with her good hand for them. Up close, Cassie could see that only a few of them were damaged in any way. Grog had been _very_ careful when he picked these.

“It was just really scary seeing you _die_ like that. We thought that you were gone forever until Pike’s necklace started glowing.” Grog said, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. “I mean, some of your head was _gone_ so it was pretty scary. You’re pretty tiny anyway, and you can’t really take a hit-”

“Grog!” Pike put on her most maternal voice and put her hands on her hips.

“Just wait until my arm’s healed, Grog, I’ll win that match one of these days.” Cassie said, a challenging and playful tone in her voice. Grog smiled, seemingly put at ease that Cassie was herself and was alright now.

“Don’t put too much stress on your injuries, Cassie,” Percival warned, “they’ll take longer to heal.”

“I know, I know, Percy.” Cassie said, holding the flowers in her lap. “But I’ll be back to my normal self soon, and when that times come, I will finally defeat you Grog Strongjaw.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Grog said, a familiar growl in his voice that made Cassie smile.

Cassie felt someone touch her hand and looked up to see Keyleth’s shining eyes watching her.

“Are you okay in here? Do you need some books, or some food? Do you want us to stay with you to keep you company?” Keyleth’s touch made the flowers perk up and Cassie smiled.

“Just some company.” Cassie said, letting herself sink even further into the pillows. “Just my family."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [queenmoggy](http://queenmoggy.tumblr.com/) on tumblr if you want to cry with me 
> 
> (also please no spoilers about the newest episode in the comments i beg you)


End file.
